Bottles and Bowties
by Nargles1211
Summary: Lovino Vargas is the sarcastic loner of the school. So why does Antonio want to be with him? It doesn't matter because it changes his whole world. Rated T for swearing. Note: The story doesn't take place in school for very long.
1. Introduction

**Hello and welcome to this story! I have it finished, but I really want to do an update story so I'll try to post more every Sunday. There are nine parts going through Lovino's life with Antonio and any necessary translations will be at the bottom of the chapters. Characters belong to Himaruya, but the story is mine. Please enjoy and thank you for reading! :)**

* * *

Out of all the people in the world, I just had to meet _him_. I just had to meet that happy, overly-energetic, Spanish asshole. Right from the start of freshman year when he accidentally knocked me down in the hallway, I knew I wouldn't ever be able to escape him. He was popular. He was charismatic. He was a tomato-loving jerk. More importantly, he was Antonio Fernádez Carriedo, and he was the love of my life; he still is, as a matter of fact. It took him a while to convince me, the Italian grump, to even speak to him, but he persisted and practically forced his way into my life. At first, I didn't know why he even bothered. I was clumsy, awkward, unpopular, and cursed enough to make the toughest sailor blush. So why would he care to associate himself with me? Throughout the years, he has pretty much convinced me of his reasoning. Honestly, I still sort of believe he started to talk to me because he loves to make everyone happy and I was the boy who never smiled. If you ever meet Toni, you can ask him for the exact reasons. However, I'm not here to tell you how the green-eyed wonder came into my life. I'm here to tell you how he changed it by using to everyday objects: bottles and bowties.


	2. Coke Bottles

**Coke Bottles**

Valentine 's Day of my sophomore year was absolutely horrifying. Why? Because that was the day Antonio decided to ask me out. What did I do? I screamed, "No way, bastard!" and ran away. How else was I supposed to respond? He had corned me in the middle of the crowded school cafeteria where _everyone_ was watching. Later that day he asked me out again when we were alone…that time I said yes. Just like the idiot he is, Antonio immediately thrust a bouquet of roses into my hands, proclaimed that we were going on a date to a surprise location, blindfolded me, and started tugging me somewhere; all of which earned him a kick to wherever my foot could reach. Lucky for him, I only located one of his legs.

"You can't just blindfold me and expect me to follow you, idiota! How the hell do I know you aren't going to push me off of a cliff or something?!"

"Aww, Lovi~! You know I wouldn't ever do that. An please wear the blindfold? I want to surprise you!" came an ever-bubbly voice from somewhere in front of me. Dio, was he annoying…remind me why I said yes again?

"My name is Lovino, dumbass. Lo-vi-no. And I'm not wearing this fucking blindfold!" I insisted, taking it off. Bad decision. I was greeted by the sight of a kicked puppy, also known as Antonio.

"Por favor, Lovi? It will be fun…I promise!" This was followed by an intensified pout and the biggest puppy eyes known to man. Seriously, I thought they were going to pop out of his head.

"Chigi! I'll wear it…now stop giving me that stupid look." And so the blindfold went back on…oh joy…

"Yay! Gracias!" he exclaimed, engulfing me in a warm hug. It was actually ni- no! It was _not_ nice. It was repulsive.

"Get off of me so we can leave…" For once, he listened and was content with pulling me along to out mystery destination. Why did he have to pull out that damn pout of his and sucker me into this? Anyway, after what felt like hours of walking, we arrived.

"You can take off the blindfold, Lovi!" Toni chirped. Finally, I was free of this stupid piece of clothe to see-

"A picnic?" I had never been on a picnic before…Nonno always took Feliciano and left me at home…

"Sí! I hope you like tomatoes, pasta, and coca-cola!" he beamed. How he managed to get pasta to stay hot in a picnic basket, I will never understand.

"Yeah, I like them," I said, even letting a small smile cross my face.

"You look amazing when you smile, Lovi," Antonio softly whispered.

"Sh-shut up!" oh great, now my face was red…here comes my least favorite comment again…

"You look just like a little tomato!"

"I do _not_!" Oh hell, it was hopeless. He would stop saying that about as soon as he'll stop calling me Lovi instead of Lovino.

After a long argument over whether or not I looked like a tomato, we finally started to eat. Surprisingly, it was halfway decent. Not as good as if I'd cooked it, of course. But hey, who knew he was actually fairly good at cooking? Okay, everyone except for me knew that Antonio could cook. I just don't like admitting things like that.

Can I try something, Lovi? He asked when we finished eating.

"Depends on what you want to try," I passively replied.

"Do you trust me?" Ouch. That's a hard question. Do I trust _anyone_? No, but Antonio comes the closest.

"I guess so."

"Then close your eyes."

"Alright, they're closed…" What was he planning? Suddenly, I felt a chapped pair of lips pres against my own. Holy shit! He was _kissing_ me! "Wh-what the hell was that, bastard?" I stuttered. Smooth, Lovino, real smooth. You are quite the charmer.

"I believe in English they call it a kiss. It's called a beso in Spanish though," he nervously replied.

"Sarcasm's my job, idiot."

"Sorry, Lovi…"

"Don't apologize…" And now I felt bad…he shouldn't ever look that sad. Maybe _I'm_ the idiot now because I pulled him over by the collar and crashed my lips into his…knocking over and spilling our Coke bottles in the process…

"Lovi?" he asked when we broke apart, smile instantly lighting up his face. "Was that your first kiss?"

"So what if it was?"

"Aww! Lovi~!" Toni exclaimed again, pulling me into a hug. If anyone had photographed that moment, they would have captured an optimist, a pessimist, the remnants of a picnic, and two glass bottles rolling away down the hill..

* * *

**Italian:**

**Idiota - idiot**

**Dio - God**

**Nonno - grandfather**

**Spanish:**

**Por favor - please**

**Gracias - thank you**

**Sí - yes**

**Beso - kiss**


	3. Black Bowtie

Two years passed as if they were nothing and I slowly grew close to Antonio and learned to accept his constant public displays of affection. Really now, is it necessary to hug, coddle, and kiss me in the middle of the hallway? No, it isn't, but his simple mind can't seem to grasp that concept. I mean, it's nice in private, but not for everyone to see. And, not learning from previous experience, Antonio asked me to prom…in a _very_ public manner. You know, there are people in this world who say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. If that is the case, Antonio is insane. That dumbshit went and put a huge-ass banner up in the cafeteria that said, "Will you go to prom with me, Tomatito?" Tomatito! He called me a "little tomato" in front of the school, so of course his answer was a big, fat "Hell no!" The bastard then proceeded to pout, whine, and beg for the next half hour until I finally broke down and begrudgingly agreed to attend his senior prom with him.

Before I knew it, prom swung around and I was in my best suit, waiting for him to show up at my door. I may have even been a little excited for the dance. Five minutes past the time he promised to pick me up, Antonio arrived at my house.

"Lo siento, Lovi! The flower shop couldn't find the flowers I ordered," he bashfully stated. "But I did get us matching boutonnieres for our suits." Toni produced a small box from nowhere and pulled out the two boutonnieres.

"You better not stick me with a pin, Antonio," I ruefully muttered. My only response was a sparkling laugh and two calloused hands gently pinning the boutonniere onto my suit jacket.

"I didn't prick you, verdad?" he smiled. "Can you put mine on for me?"

"Si, I can do that. And no, you didn't prick me…" I gingerly took the second red flower and pinned it to him. Huh, so he had a black bowtie on…it looked amazing on him even though it was crooked. "Hold on a second, Toni," I said as I fixed it. "There. Now you look attractive enough for me to be your date."

"Thanks, Lovi," he laughed, kissing my cheek. "Glad you think so." At least he recognizes my sarcasm by this point. Anyone else would be offended…maybe that's a reason I like him so much; he can see right through me…it can be quite disconcerting at times. I guess I don't mind as long as no one else can do that…

After some more banter, we stepped outside and were on our way to prom: the most over-done event in teen literature. I figured out why it's so over-done when I found our school gymnasium decorated to the nines and full of music, laughter, and gyrating teenagers. Gross.

"Dance with me, Lovi!" Antonio exclaimed, dragging me onto the floor.

"I don't dance, Toni!" No, no, no. I'm _clumsy_. That means I step on people's feet or fall on my face, not dance.

"You do now!" In a split second, I was face-to-face with the bowtie I had fixed earlier and was, once again, crooked. Somehow, we made it through several dances without me tripping up…it turned out that Antonio was a spectacular dancer; Spanish blood according to his parents and twelve years of dance lessons according to Antonio himself.

"Hey, Lovi? You trust me, verdad?" Let me ask the same question I asked myself on our first date. Do I trust anyone? Probably. I pretty much trust Antonio with most things.

"Sí, I trust you." Antonio turned a blinding smile on me then dipped me over backwards at the end of the song. Terrified, I clung to him for dear life. "St-stop that! Damnit, Antonio!"

"Your face is red again, tomatito~! You're blushing all over the place tonight," he commented. Oh no, there was a glint in his eyes. What could he be planning _this_ time? "You look just like a tomato!" he shouted loud enough for the entire gym to hear and nuzzled his face against mine.

"CHIGI! Knock that off!" Well, my cheeks were officially on fire and probably one of the gaudiest shades of red known to man.

Other than that incident, the night went off without a hitch. I ended the night with my head on his shoulder while "Angels on the Moon" was playing, staring at his black bowtie and maybe even smiling…maybe…

* * *

**Spanish:**

**Lo siento - I'm sorry**

**Verdad - right**

**Italian:**

**Si - yes**

**Thank you so much for reading again :) Next update will come next Sunday**


	4. Champagne Bottle

Three more years passed and Antonio and I found ourselves attending the same university. Once again, Valentine's day and our anniversary rolled around. Having taken charge of our anniversary date for the past three years, I took charge again and planned the biggest date yet. Toni wouldn't even know what had hit him! I let him think that he's the only one who can plan _real_ dates most of the time, but he'll know who the best is after today. Okay, checklist time: Antonio's favorite red carnations? Check. Dinner reservations? Check. Two bicycles ready for a scenic tour through Rome? Check. And tomatoes for on the way? Check. All I have to do now is pick him up! 9:15, perfect. I have exactly enough time to arrive at his dorm and even be there early.

Sure enough, I made it ten minutes early…thank God Antonio was ready to go. He's only ever half an hour early or half an hour late; there just wasn't an in-between.

"Buon anniversario, Lovi!: he exclaimed when he opened the door, scooping me into a big hug.

"Feliz aniversario, Antonio," I smiled and hugged him back. Hey, if he could say it in Italian, I could say it in Spanish…once… "Oh, uhm, I brought you flowers too."

"Muchas gracias, Lovi~! That's sweet." God, I loved that smile. Antonio was wearing that radiant smile he only wears for me and suddenly I was reduced to putty again.

"N-non problema, Toni," I smiled. "Are you ready to go?"

"Sí, pero where are we going?"

"It's a surprise. Don't you trust me?" Toni's turn for that question. I figured I was allowed to use it _once_ after all the times he's used it on me.

"Claro que sí," he smiled. I don't think I'll ever know how he can be so genuine about everything.

"Let's go then!" I offered him my arm and took him out to the car. I can hardly wait to see the look on his face when he finds out what we're doing! Fortunately for us, Rome is only a fifteen minute drive from campus. As usual, Antonio was bouncing like a little kid with too much sugar the entire car ride.

"Nice day for a bike ride, don't you think, Toni?"I asked him, pulling into the bike rental parking lot. The day was perfect. The temperature was mild, the sun was shining, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

"We're going on a bike ride today?" His eager face lit up once again as he turned his sparkling eyes to me. Wow, did I really just think that? I'm starting to sound like a sappy teenage girl now…

"Yeah. We're going on a bike tour through Rome…I thought since you like it when I tell you stories that Nonno told Feliciano and I, that you would like a guided tour of my home city…he told us many stories here." Oh great, I was blushing again _and_ I was babbling.

"¡Qué fantástico! That sounds perfect! Can we see the Colosseum and the aqueducts?"

"That's part of the tour. I'll show you around the civilian and commercial parts of town too." Was this a great idea? You bet it was. For once, not even _I_ could stop smiling. The two of us picked our bikes and off we went!

I showed him the most impressive plazas, shopping districts filled with family-owned shops, and yes, the Colosseum and aqueducts. I bought him a cameo for his mother in one of the shops. It was a rich royal blue background with the profile of a woman who had long, wavy hair done in a pearly white color. Antonio's mother wasn't too thrilled about her son being gay, but she was slowly warming up to the idea. We got cannolis at a café and everything was perfect. Our night ended at a restaurant, dining on a patio under the clear, starry sky.

"Would you like some champagne, signores?" the waiter asked.

"Sí, per favore. Molto grazie." It's a bit expensive for alcohol, but I can indulge every now and then. After dinner, we were allowed to bring the rest of our champagne back to campus. Needless to say, we finished it off together and tumbled into Toni's bed for a peaceful night of cuddling. I had never slept better and, call me crazy, but I don't think it was because of all the champagne.

* * *

**Italian:**

**Buon anniversario - Happy anniversary**

**Non problema - No problem**

**Si - Yes**

**Per favore - Please**

**Molto grazie - Thank you very much**

**Signores - Misters/sirs**

**Spanish:**

**Feliz aniversario - Happy anniversary**

**Muchas gracias - Thank you very much**

**Pero - But**

**Claro que sí - Of course**

**Qué fantástico - How fantastic**

**Thanks again for reading everyone! I hope that you're all having a great Easter or Passover or whatever you celebrate! :)**


	5. Red Bowtie

As a ritual, Antonio and I attended church together every Sunday. We were Catholics, so our entire lifestyle and relationship was condemned and everyone believed we were on a road to Hell. However, most attendees were still courteous to us. This week, Toni was wearing a short-sleeved plaid shirt with a red bowtie; his appearance was a very welcome distraction from the priest. It wasn't that the priest was rude or spiteful, masses just dragged on and on and on. Finally, after the service was half an hour or so overtime, we were on the closing song and Antonio was…dancing?

"Toni, what are you doing" I asked. Cute bowtie or not, it was not even remotely acceptable to dance around like that.

"I have to pee!" he hissed back.

"Can you wait for two more minutes?"

"No! Loooovviiii! I'm going to explooode!" Pathetic. How could a grown man in his twenties manage to act like a five-year-old at any given time?

"Fine, go! Try to make it back before the song finishes…" What? I'm powerless…

"Grazie, Lovi!" Toni kissed my cheek and ran out. There goes my dignity…guess I'll be telling this incident to the priest at confessional. Minutes passed and he _still_ hadn't come back. Where the hell could that idiota be?! We'd already been blessed and everyone was filing out the door. I swear, it does _not_ take that long for someone to pee! Did he get lost or something?

"Addio, Father. I apologize for Antonio running out today."

"That's quite alright, Lovino. He asked permission earlier," Father smiled.

"What he said he had to…bye, Father!" I hurriedly stammered as I ran out the church doors. Christ, what was Antonio doing?! Whenever he lied and left to do something on his own, he usually ended up hurting himself in his excitement. Within minutes, I had made it to the car to find Antonio standing there with a bucket of black paint and a dripping paint brush hanging from his hand. Oh. My. Lord. Please tell me he did _not_ just do that…

Before I tell you what that bastard did, I'll give you some background information. Two months ago, in March, I had finally saved enough money to make a large down payment on a shiny, red, Ferrari. Oh yes, I had one, and by saved enough money, I meant I had saved almost every penny since the day I was born. Was I proud of it? Absolutely. Her name was Shelby and she was my baby. Every night, I cleaned her and vacuumed her and made her shine. That car was my baby. What did Antonio do to her? He defiled my precious baby girl, _that's_ what he did. That paint brush dripping with black paint? He used it to paint a big, black, moustached tomato on her hood. You heard me, a _tomato_.

"What the fuck did you do to Shelby?" I spat, sure that my face matched the color of her paint.

"I painted a tomatito for mi tomatito! Do you like it, Lovi~?"

"No! I do _not_ like it! Why would you defile my baby?!" I groaned. "Now I need to take her in for a new paint job and _pray_ that they can save her…"

"But Shelby looks so pretty now!" he chirped. It should be illegal for anyone to be that oblivious. I really wonder how he escaped being a victim of pedophilia as a child.

"Oh! Are you young men selling tomatoes today?" an elderly woman asked.

"Sí! We are, señora," Antonio gleefully replied.

"No, we aren't."

"Then why is a tomato painted on your car? Isn't that an advertisement for selling tomatoes?" she questioned, no thoroughly confused.

"No, my dumsh-," I coughed, "excuse me, my idiota boyfriend decided to paint a tomato on my car to make her look 'pretty'."

"Are you _sure_ you aren't selling tomatoes today? Your friend's bowtie matches the car and everything. He looks like the perfect salesman,' she smiled.

"Gracias, señora! Usted es muy simpática y bonita." This will take a while…why does Toni just _have_ to get along with everyone so well?

"You know what, signora? I have a basket of tomatoes in the trunk for a picnic later, but you can have them for free."

"You young people are _so_ kind these days," she crooned as I handed her the basket. "Thank you so very much!"

"Anything for you, signora," I sighed as I waved her away.

"That was so nice, Lovi~!" Toni beamed.

"I hope you know that you'll be paying to repaint her," I grumbled. "Poor Shelby is all marked up, you monster…" Antonio only chuckled in response. He obviously didn't understand the magnitude of his little painting adventure.

"I can take care of it, Lovi. Don't worry so much!" he laughed.

"Your bowtie is crooked again, asshole," I muttered, not being so gentle with it as I was at prom. He could just get over it though. But I could probably stand to be a little nicer. After all, he did do it because he thought a tomato on the hood of my baby would look cute…Shelby _was_ just a car at the end of the day…I guess I'll just have to learn to live with some of Antonio's crazier quirks. Besides, he would look irresistible in Shelby today since his bowtie matched.

* * *

**Italian:**

**Grazie - thank you**

**Idiota - idiot**

**Signora - Miss, Ma'am**

**Spanish:**

**Tomatito - little tomato**

**Sí - yes**

**Señora - miss, ma'am**

**Gracias, señora! Usted es muy simpática y bonita. - Thank you, ma'am. You are very kind and beautiful.**

**Thanks again for reading! I can't even tell you how happy it makes me to know that people are reading this and at least some of them are enjoying it! Thank you so much for sticking with it and giving me something to look forward to every Sunday :) Also, just as a heads up, there are only about three more weeks of updates left so it's almost over**


	6. Amintillado Wine Bottle

Three years after our fifth anniversary, Antonio kidnapped me. I was supposed to be working the dinner shift on our anniversary, and I had tried to get off on that day, but all chefs were needed to satiate the Valentine's Day crowd. All was calm: everyone was dishing out sappy, heart-shaped meals, and facilitating proposals. It made me sick. Who proposes on Valentine's Day anyway? I was feeling guilty for not being with Antonio, but I promised him that I would make tomorrow special instead. Just as I was getting into the swing of things, the impossible happened: Antonio burst into the kitchen and dragged me out to the car.

"What are you doing, bastard? I'm working!" I shouted.

"Just get in!" he exclaimed.

"Antonio, you're going to get me fired!"

"No I won't, trust me," he smiled, hopping into the driver's seat and peeling out of the parking lot. "I _promise_ that I won't get you fired."

Home is only two minutes away when you speed like an Italian. Of course, that is exactly what Antonio did. Last year, Nonno had died and he left his house outside of Rome to me and his house in Venice to Feliciano along with a large inheritance. I missed him, but I also appreciated what he had left behind for mio fratello and I. In fact, Antonio and I moved into his old home about two months ago.

Upon parking the car, Antonio leapt out and tugged me to the front door then clumsily unlocked it. The sight that greeted me was utterly divine. All the way from the front door for as far as I could see, there was a path made entirely of rose petals.

"Come on, Lovi! I have dinner cooked and everything!" he beamed. How could I say no to a dinner that I didn't have to cook? I obediently followed the meticulously laid out and shaped petal path straight to the dining room. Antonio had closed the curtains, dimmed the lights, and lit a few well-placed candles along the table. It was the most romantically cliché dinner set up I had ever witnessed, but it was perfect all the same.

"You did all of this?" I asked in wonder.

"Sí! I'd do anything to make you happy and this is just one example, tomatito!" Not even five minutes in and I was blushing already. He had even managed to put a smile on my face. While Antonio got dinner, I set the table with our good dishes and took a seat.

"Toni, this looks delicious!" He had brought out enough food for five couples. The spread was a mix of Spanish and Italian dishes; both of our favorites were on the table.

"Gracias, I made it myself!" he beamed. I always secretly found it endearing that Antonio could get excited over the smallest things; just one more reason to love him, I guess.

Dinner was phenomenal, and when I admit that something is phenomenal, you _know_ that it is. I honestly didn't think that the night could get any better. Hell, I had even forgotten about work and contented myself with holding Toni's hand on the table.

"Can I ask you something, Love?" Antonio softly inquired.

"Well, you've already dragged me home against my will and forced me to enjoy myself, so you might as well," I smiled. There was just something about tonight that made me feel like I was floating. Maybe it was the wine…Toni had brought out a bottle of Amintillado: famous for being _almost_ as good as Italian wines and for being featured in a famous short story by Edgar Allen Poe. I have to admit, the wine lives up to the hype centered around it.

"Lovino?" Wait, what? He _never_ calls me by my full name. Was something wrong? No…he was…kneeling? "We've been together for eight beautiful ears now and I am completely in love with you. You can be as sarcastic, cynical, and angry as you want because I know it's only a veneer. Sometimes when we're alone, you let all of your walls down and I see the man that you try to hide away from the world. I want to be the only one to cuddle with you on the couch, drag you to chick-flicks in the theaters, and playfully argue over whose cooking is better with you. You truly are the love of my life. Lovino Romano Vargas, will you marry me so we can be the happiest husbands on earth?"

There was no ring to prove it and there was nobody around to witness it, but in that moment, I knew that he was the only one I could ever see myself being with. Every fiber of my being was taken over by an overwhelming euphoria and, for once, I let a smile shine bright enough to rival one of Antonio's.

"Yes." It was barely a whisper and I could hardly say it, but it was a yes all the same. Within seconds, Antonio had pulled me out of my chair, picked me up, and twirled me in a circle. "I'm not some girl from a bad romance movie," I smiled.

"I don't care!" he gleefully replied. "You're mine forever and that's all that matters to me."

That night, it took about two hours to convince Antonio to finally release me long enough for me to take a shower and put pajamas on, but I managed it somehow. Needless to say, the rest of the night was spent comfortably: in each other's arms. What could possibly be better? In my eyes: nothing.

* * *

**Thanks for reading again! Only two more weeks until the fluffy conclusion :) I hope you all have an awesome week!**


	7. White Bowtie

February 14th was here once again, nine years from the day Antonio had first asked me out. However, this was our most important anniversary yet; our wedding day. Toni's once-reluctant mother had helped plan the trivial details of the wedding, but we chose the church, guests, and reception venue. We had managed to find a priest who was willing to marry us. Believe it or not, there are some religious leaders who _don't_ think we're going to Hell.

"Are you ready to go, Lovi?" Antonio beamed. Do I sound like a girl if I say that he looked dashing in his suit? Really now, for a guy with uncontrollably curly hair, he sure knew how to clean up nicely. Who would guess that I would end up with such a handsome husband?

"Si, I'm ready," I smiled back, looping my arm through his and starting down the long, narrow aisle. Even though I wasn't alone and I was marrying the love of my life, I was still nervous as hell to be getting married. The walk seemed to last for hours with all eyes on us, but when we reached the altar, I felt all of my fears melt away. It was only Antonio, the priest, and I.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…" Wedding or not, I would rather tune out the boring ceremonial junk and focus on the man in front of me. Antonio's soft chocolaty hair was as neat as It could get and his emerald eyes sparkled like he could hardly contain himself. We were both clothed in all white and Toni had even convinced me to wear a white bowtie identical to his. I only hope that mine isn't slightly askew like his is. He was absolutely glowing in the gentle church lighting. God could not have created a more perfect person. Before I knew it, it was time for our vows. Antonio was first.

"I, Antonio Carriedo, take you, Lovino Vargas, to be my lawfully wedded husband. To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, 'till death do us part. And hereto I pledge you my faithfulness," he smiled, slipping a plain gold band onto my left ring finger. Now let's hope I can remember my vows as well as he did.

Taking a shaky breath, I began, "I, Lovino Vargas, take you, Antonio Carriedo, to be my lawfully wedded husband. To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, 'till death do us part. And hereto I pledge you my faithfulness." No backing out now, Lovino…not that I wanted to. Somehow I managed to slip the ring onto Antonio's finger without dropping it.

"I know pronounce you Mr. and Mr. Vargas-Carriedo. You may kiss your husband," the priest said, uttering the final blessing. The smile that lit up Antonio's face was absolutely blinding as he leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on my lips. Fuck that. Who wants to have self-control on their wedding day? Certainly not me! I kissed him back much more enthusiastically and the two of us were lip-locked for a good minute and a half before we broke away and faced the cheering crowd of our close family and friends. Would the rest of the night be perfect? No, but it would come pretty damn close.

We held our reception in a grand ballroom. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceilings, the windows were draped with gold curtains, and columns towered above us to hold up a beautiful, arching ceiling. It looked like a Disney princess move threw up. WE even had an orchestra to play soft music in the background while we ate. Of course, the first thing on the agenda after food was our first dance as a married couple.

Choosing a song was the hardest part. Antonio wanted a fast, upbeat song and I wanted one that was slower. In the end, we settled on a song called "Bloom". It was upbeat enough to satisfy Antonio, but slow enough for me to be happy as well. By this point, the orchestra was traded for a DJ who announced that it was time for us to dance and played the song as we walked onto the white marble floor.

Because he was several centimeters taller, Antonio led, but it didn't really matter…we mainly swayed back and forth rather than dance.

"Lovi? Have I ever told you how much I love you?" Toni whispered.

"Once or twice. Have I ever mentioned how lucky I am to have you?"

"Once or twice…" Smartass. I love him anyway though. After all, it wasn't every day I found someone who was more than willing to put up with me for the past ten years. Had it really been that long already? Time sure does fly when you're in love…if God only gives me ten more glorious years with Antonio, I think I'll be happy. We would have much more than ten years together, provided no accidents happened.

All too soon, our dance ended and we had to mingle with the countless guests that had been invited.

"Ve~! Fratello, you look so handsome!" a light, bubbly voice exclaimed. Lo and behold, it was my twin brother, Feliciano.

"Ciao, Feli…e grazie," I replied, trying to pull him off of me.

"We're so glad you could come!" Antonio exclaimed. He's much more of a people person than I am…

"Antonio!" a duo exclaimed. Oh no, the other two members of the Bad Touch Trio, Gilbert and Francis, had arrived. From the time that the albino Prussian and girly Frenchman joined us, the babbling didn't stop until I pulled Antonio away for another dance. Half of the guests are insane, but what more did you expect?

The rest of the night was chaotic, but I wouldn't change a second of it. Who would bother changing perfection anyway?

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**Thank you all for reading again and I'm so sorry that I didn't post this earlier but I wasn't home and forgot about it by the time I got back. Only one more chapter and an epilogue left! I promise to upload them both next week for you. Have an awesome week :)**

**Wedding song: (/watch?v=cHw_kul3kLQ)**


	8. Baby Bottles

"Toni…Toni, wake up…Bella's crying again." As if on cue, a baby's wail sounded through the house. About two months ago, a beautiful baby girl named Isabella Luisa was born to a pair of parents who didn't want anything to do with her. She needed parents, and Antonio and I were looking to adopt. It had been about a year since we had gotten married, so we decided it was the perfect time to begin a family. The second we laid eyes on her, the two of us knew that we needed to be the ones who gave her a loving home. Little Bella already has thick, dark brown hair and big green eyes, but she can't seem to sleep through the night yet…we were mislead by the baby books claiming that newborns could sleep through the night by six weeks.

"It's your turn, Lovi…I got up last time…" Antonio mumbled, rolling over once again and going back to sleep. With a sigh, I dragged myself out of bed and trudged to the nursery. Bella may be our angel, but it doesn't make waking up at two a.m. every morning any better.

"What's wrong, bambina?" I asked as I picked Isabella up and cradled her to my chest. "Do you need to be changed? No…I guess you must be hungry then…come with Papi so I can get you a bottle," I yawned. Recently, Toni and I had been sleeping with our shirts off since skin-to-skin contact is supposedly calming to babies. As Bella's crying was at a much lower decibel now, I assumed that it was true. I bet she misses her mami…poor thing. No matter, I heated up a bottle for my little dear.

"Open up, princesa," I softly murmured, offering her the bottle that magically managed to stop the tears.

Watching Isabella greedily suck down the milk made me smile a little; she had just gone from bawling her eyes out to perfectly content. As long as she was happy, I couldn't really complain. Three weeks had gone by since we brought Bella home with us, but I already knew that I never wanted her to leave. By blood or by adoption, she was still our precious baby girl.

Talking about adopting a child and actually holding that child in your arms for the first time are two entirely different experiences. You can talk about being parents as often as you like, but you won't _feel_ like a parent until you hold that tiny little baby and know that they rely on you and trust you – no matter who you are or what you've done in the past. In all honesty, it's amazing. Holding Isabella for the first time and knowing that she could be ours changed my entire world. Suddenly, it wasn't Antonio and I; it was Antonio, _Isabella_, and I. The only thing I knew was this profound love and desire to protect and care for her.

"Done already, Bella-baby?" She always ate so fast…I hope she doesn't spit it up when I burp her this time. The baby-barf definitely wasn't a joy to deal with, but it was part of the package. Come to think of it, being a parent had a lot of bad sides. Babies cost a lot of money to take care of, we don't get time with just the two of us anymore, dirty diapers constantly need to be changed, we don't sleep very well at all, and sometimes people yell at us about how we're teaching Bella bad morals by being gay. None of that matters very much though…I would deal with all of that for the rest of my life it means I get to see her smile when I come home from work every day. The best feeling in the world is knowing that my little girl feels safe enough to wrap her tiny hand around my finger and fall asleep in my arms.

She's sleeping right now, in fact. Isabella's innocent face was the epitome of peacefulness at that moment. Her delicate chest steadily rose and fell to let me know that she was still breathing as she blissfully dozed; safe and sound in Papi's arms. She was handcrafted by God to steal my heart away and keep it as her own. In her little world, Toni and I were kings, though we were hardly a blip on the rest of the world's radar.

Silently, I climbed the stairs and tucked Bella back into her cradle. "Buonanotte, Bella" I whispered as I kissed her forehead. "I'll see you in the morning."

I couldn't count how many of these moments we'd had and I didn't want to think about how many or how few we might have left, but for now, I will cherish them as they come. We won't get a chance to do this with her again in a few short years.

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**Italian:**

**Bambina - baby girl**

**Buonanotte - good night**

**Spanish:**

**Princesa - princess**


	9. Epilogue

Twenty-three years flew by like nobody's business with Isabella, and Antonio and I tried our very best to be everything that good fathers should be. We kept a book of firsts throughout our time together and documented everything. First word: Papá. Antonio won that round. First steps: on her first birthday; documented on film as we clumsily attempted to support both her and a video camera before we let go of her hand. First love: Elmo. We could hardly pry her away from Sesame Street at any given time…that was her first addiction as well. First time she was made fun of: the first day of third grade when we dropped her off.

That day, Isabella came one in tears. Or rather, the teacher had to call us in because she wouldn't stop crying despite all of their best efforts. Apparently, a boy told her that we were gross because two guys "shouldn't" be married and that she was gross too because she didn't have a real Mami…then he convinced most of the class to shun her and call her all sorts of names: ugly, unwanted, outcast, loser. Even with both Antonio and I there, it took ten or fifteen minutes to calm her down…then I got kicked out of the school for threatening to beat up anyone who had called her a mean name…it was worth it since she didn't get made fun of again.

First boyfriend: eighth grade. He wasn't a terrible guy, but Toni and I knew she could do better. Graduation: much too early for us. Wedding: today. Isabella Luisa Vargas-Carriedo would be changed her name to Isabella Corleone. We approved of this man; he had even come to ask for our blessing to marry her.

Now we were forty-nine and fifty years old with Bella's arms each looped through one of ours. We'll miss her more than anything, but at least we know we're giving her away to someone who will love her just as much as we do.

Antonio changed my lift starting thirty-three years ago; he filled me with happiness and gave me a crazy but wonderful life full of love. Nothing will ever be more valuable than the memories we've made together, and I know that I'll love him until the day I die because without him, I would not be the man I am today.

~Fin~

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**And they all lived happily ever after. The end! Thank you for all sticking with the story this long! It's probably the longest one I've ever written and I really enjoyed every second of it. I'm very happy that I got to share this with you and thanks again for all of the nice reviews and for reading. Have a wonderful week!**


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